Cross-Dressed Bride
by raincoloredpetals
Summary: Sequel to 'Cross-Dressed Lover.' Just when Ash thought he wouldn't have to cross-dress again, he ends up back in a dress as 'Ashley.' Only Alain is happy about this. Before he thought it couldn't get any worse, he's expected to wear a wedding dress. Alain, stop smiling.
1. Engaged

**Yep lol, I made a sequel to Cross-Dressed Lover! I enjoyed writing it too much and needed to have an excuse for Ash and Clemont to suffer to benefit others. Thanks to MellieCrescent for the idea of a sequel!**

* * *

It was a good few months after the Lumiose Showcase. Ash and Alain started dating after and were constantly with each other so they could spend time together under the guise of Alain teaching Ash about Mega Evolution. In that time, Alain had secretly found Charizardite X and a Key Stone with Mairin and was waiting for the perfect time to surprise Ash with it.

Serena was back in Hoenn to compete in Pokémon Contests and Clemont was running the gym per usual.

Life was good. Well, except for Alain fondly looking at Ash's picture of him in a dress at least once a day. He took a ton of pictures when they had forced Ash and Clemont to wear all the dresses before Serena took them.

"Can't you dress like that for me again?" he would always ask. Of course Ash would deny him and change the subject.

Today was the day Serena would come visit them as she always did once in a while. She had told them prior that she had something really important to tell them and Ash and Clemont needed to be there. This conversation might sound familiar…

"Serena, are you freaking kidding me?!" shouted Ash, clutching the frilly invitation she gave him. Clemont was shaking his head, color quickly draining from his face.

"No no no no no…I can't do this again," he squeaked, he could still feel the wig in his sleep. Bonnie and Mairin were excited.

"A photoshoot?!" they squealed, eyes brightening. Serena nodded enthusiastically.

"Valerie is making dresses again and she sent me an email and invitations to get 'Ashley' and 'Clemelia' together so the three of us can do a photoshoot in her clothes. She was really impressed with our performances at the stadium. She's gonna make designs based on bonds between humans and Pokémon again, so it would be great if we brought the Pokémon we used in the performance to inspire her, her words." Alain was silently listening, nodding when she finished.

"Obviously, that means I go if Ash goes." Ash did a double take.

"No, why do we need to do this again?! Serena, you can go by yourself and say that you couldn't get us to come!" Serena pouted.

"But that's just sad if it's just me. Imagine how Valerie would feel!" Clemont grit his teeth.

"Imagine how _I_ feel, please!" Bonnie ignored him, eyes sparkling dreamily.

"If we go, imagine all the models we'll meet! Clemont will finally find himself a keeper! We need to go!" Mairin nodded, raising her hand.

"I wanna come too! And are you two getting ready?" she asked when Clemont and Ash began stomping up the stairs.

"Nope. There's nothing to benefit us. No Mega Evolved Pokémon, no cross-dressing," stated Ash as if it were his one reason to do it. Mairin nudged Alain sharply.

"Alain! Do something!" she hissed. He was already moving, running to grab Ash's wrist. The younger male paused, looking back with a scowl. Alain smiled sweetly.

"Guess what I found a few weeks ago." Ash eyed him suspiciously.

"What?" Alain didn't drop his smile.

"Charizardite and a Key Stone." Ash immediately dropped his scowl, replaced with child-like joy.

"So Charizard can Mega Evolve again?" Clemont tried snapping his fingers in front of his face to snap him out of it. Alain flicked his hand out of the way.

"Yeah. If we go, I promise we'll battle after." Clemont tried to growl, but it wasn't threatening.

"Why after? Why do we have to cross-dress for you to battle Alain? Your own boyfriend?" he asked tersely to get Ash's attention. Ash's eyes widened, putting his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, why do I have to dress up to ask _you_ for a battle?" Alain glared at Clemont, then relaxed for Ash.

"If your reason to cross-dress is for Mega Evolved Pokémon, then I'm not wrong." Everyone else was snickering behind him.

"Ash." Oh Arceus, was he simpering? And even pouting? "Please?"

The others had identical begging stares, Bonnie especially. Clemont was shaking his head, grabbing Ash and shaking him back and forth to get a hold of himself. In Ash's head, he could only see him battling Alain. With Mega Evolved Charizard. And let's be honest, Alain went out of his way to get Charizardite. Might as well…return the favor.

"Okay…" Clemont let go and ran to hug the wall, wailing while the others were cheering. He suddenly had a bright idea. Luckily his friends knew nothing about technology, so maybe he was in the clear!

"C-Clembot needs some maintenance on him! He can't take care of the gym if he's not fixed up, so I might as well stay!" At this, the girls whined, but if maintenance was needed, it was Clemont's job to make sure Clembot was running properly. Like any dutiful robot, Clembot stepped out of the kitchen in his apron.

"You documented that I have approximately two weeks before maintenance is needed. There is no rush. Please go enjoy your day!" Meyer could be heard laughing from the backyard.

"Go, Clemont! You lost again!" Before Clemont could complain, Bonnie latched onto his neck with her arms. Her eyes burned viciously.

"You tried to lie to us?!" Mairin and Serena seized his arms and dragged him up kicking and screaming to get him changed.

Alain glanced at Ash, silently challenging him. Ash knew better than try to wrestle against Alain, having lost many times before. He went to his room to change with Alain following him.

* * *

Ash reluctantly stared at himself in the mirror, turning this way and that to look at how the dress was on his body. The dress had long sleeves and was just as short as the sailor maid one. It was more normal than performance. Alain walked in and hummed.

"It looks as nice as the first time you wore it," he complimented. It was the dress he had first chosen for him to wear, after all. Ash frowned.

"Why do you like me wearing these sort of things?" he asked, pausing as Alain wrapped his arms around him from behind.

"Because you look cute," he answered simply. Ash fumed.

"And I don't on every other day?" Alain didn't wait a beat.

"You do, but I like it when you wear things like this too." He grinned and pressed a kiss against his temple. "Thank you for doing this."

Ash grumbled. "No more asking me to dress up after this."

Alain sighed. "At least for a while. Don't forget the stockings."

He voiced it to sound helpful, but Ash couldn't hear the smirk in his voice as he begrudgingly slid them up his legs.

A scream had them both jolting. Ash immediately ran out, not bothering to keep his skirt down. It sounded like Clemont was in trouble.

In his eyes, he was. Bonnie was tugging on him to wear a yellow dress with white polka dots on it. The wig was a mess on his head with Serena trying in vain to set it right. Mairin was laughing while kicking her feet on his computer chair. Ash grimaced.

"Man, we're really torturing Clemont with this, aren't we?" Mairin flounced over and slapped the brunette wig on his head.

"Your turn!" Ash was forced into the chair while Mairin went to work in making him look like Ashley again.

* * *

They were heading to Laverre City by train, which was the fastest way to get there in time for Valerie's photoshoot. They were in their seats when Ash felt the need to cool down in the bathroom. It was stuffy and the dress had longer sleeves than he cared for.

He nearly had a heart attack when Clemont grabbed his arm when they were alone in the bathroom. His friend looked desperate.

"Ash, we don't need to go through with this! We can just sneak off the train at the next stop, say we got caught up in the chaos and couldn't catch up to them!" Ash sighed sadly as he fanned himself. He was thinking about all sort of escape routes ever since they got on the train. Pikachu stopped him from jumping out the emergency exit because it was running. He was sure he would've made it.

"I thought about that, but Alain has Charizard. He would've sent him to pick us up." Clemont began to sob, staring at himself in a mirror. He shuddered when he saw how prominent the polka dots are. He looked unsightly in this thing.

The door opened, but they didn't pay attention to lament their disguises. Until that person spoke.

"Why are two girls in the men's restroom?" They froze, quickly realizing their mistake. Before they could come up with an excuse, a chuckle followed.

"It's just me. Nothing to worry about unless someone else comes in." Alain waved at them, letting them sigh in relief. Clemont took off so he wouldn't be caught by the next person heading into the bathroom, Alain moving to the side to let him through. Ash rested his face in his palm, thanking Arceus that it was Alain who walked in and not an unsuspecting passenger.

"I totally didn't think about that! Thanks, Alain." Alain smiled as he walked towards him, taking his hand and pecking it.

"You're welcome, mademoiselle." Ash winced. Man, agreeing to this was one of the dumbest decisions he'd ever made. And that was saying a lot. The train suddenly jolted at a sharper turn, making them move with it and stumble for balance. Alain held his arms out to stay on his feet, pinning Ash against a sink while Ash grasped his shoulders. The two were familiar with being close to one another, so there wasn't a blush shared between them. The bathroom door opened again, a train passenger immediately bristling when he saw the two pushed up against a sink.

"What are you two doing?" he asked stiffly. Ash froze.

"I-I-" Afraid he might blow his cover, he ran for it with Alain laughing behind him. Ash went to brood in his seat with Clemont, both wanting this day to end.

* * *

"Welcome back to Laverre City!" greeted Valerie outside her gym, looking elegant in her kimono. She hugged Serena and smiled at Ash and Clemont politely.

"It's an honor to meet you both," she greeted, grasping their hands delicately. They dropped to a curtsy just like Serena trained them, Clemont's muscles shaky as he was unfamiliar with the action. Ash luckily remembered from his curtsy to Alain. Valerie turned to Alain and Mairin.

"And you two must be…?" Mairin nodded to her.

"I'm Mairin! This is Alain." Alain wasn't looking at Valerie, which didn't go unnoticed by her. Instead, he was smiling at Ash trying to curtsy. Valerie's eyes widened, a new idea coming to mind.

"Are you two lovers?" she asked, gesturing between the two of them, wanting to be sure before saying her idea out loud. 'Ashley' turned red, glancing at Alain who was confident.

"Yes," he answered. Satisfied, Valerie held her arms out welcomingly.

"Then I've decided to change my photoshoot. I want to make a wedding dress to symbolize the bonds of romantic love!" Ash's thoughts screeched to a halt. He could barely handle dressing like a girl and suddenly he was going to be wearing a wedding dress? The girls were shining with joy, Serena gasping at the idea of her in a wedding dress or a bridesmaid one.

"That's such a great idea!"

 _'For_ you _!'_ Ash and Clemont thought fiercely. Valerie tapped her chin in thought.

"Actually, I like the idea of having wedding dresses using Pokémon as inspiration. Our new theme is romance!" she announced to her attendants. They all cheered, hurrying to help her draw out her visions as they chirped about their excitement. She smiled at the others, the boys still shell-shocked at the sudden change in development.

"But we can't just have Ashley and Alain as our only couples. Serena, I would still like to have you pose with your Pokémon in bridesmaid attire. As for Clemelia," her eyes shone with enthusiasm, "I shall have someone model with you! An innocent romance between two people. You have the perfect look. I'll have a male model assigned to you immediately."

"A guy?" Bonnie's hopes were dashed. How could she find her brother a keeper if the person he'll be working with is also a guy?

Alain didn't care about the change in plans. In fact, he was really liking it. Ash in a wedding dress. The only time he'd wear it. This was just too good to pass up. He caught Ash when he fell back, his soul desperate to part from his body.

"Why is this happening?" he breathed, Alain chuckling and kissing his forehead fondly. Clemont was looking for any possible exit out of this, but was suddenly approached by a tall male with dark burgundy hair and blue eyes. He smiled at him and reached for his hand.

"Hello. My name's Leo. It's a pleasure to meet a beauty such as you, mademoiselle." He kissed Clemont's hand which was thankfully blocked by a glove. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. His mind was screaming for him to let go, but luckily Bonnie was running to the rescue while everyone stared in horror at the model's sudden action.

"Let go of my bro-sister!" she corrected quickly, waving a surprised Leo away. "Keepers only!"

Right now, Clemont agreed. He needed to find a way to disappear and fast. But he was quickly taken by Valerie's ladies to get changed with Bonnie in tow. Serena had to follow suit for her dress and Alain took Ash to head to where he was being called.

This was a huge problem. And who knows if they were going to make it to the end of the day? At this rate, Ash and Clemont might go insane!

* * *

Lol sorry, Ash, Clemont, but for the good of me, the girls and Alain, cross-dressing is important! But how are things gonna go now? We'll see, hopefully the next chapter's longer!


	2. A New Love?

**I'm sorry this took so long! School and other things overtook me. Thank you so much for your patience!**

* * *

The attendants finally finished the dress Ash would be wearing, causing his heart to skip when one girl asked him to take off his dress so she could help get him in it. He froze, knowing his cover would be blown instantly if she saw. Alain moved quickly and took the dress.

"Ashley's shy about changing around new people. If we could get some privacy, please?" The girls giggled at first thinking about the two of them alone, but nodded and quickly left them. One attendant left a tux as well and shut the door for them. Ash sighed in relief.

"I thought that was gonna be it. I was about to take Charizard and leave." Alain chuckled.

"If things get bad, I'll save you. I've done it before," he added, reminding him of his fainting spell during the showcase. Ash shuddered.

"Please do. Alright, I'll get changed. No peeking!" he shouted. Alain nonchalantly nodded and turned so he could change into his tux. Ash shoved his dress on the floor after he took it off, groaning when he looked at the dress. It was a freaking giant ball gown. He was sure he could sneak in several Pokémon into his skirt. When he lifted the hem, Pikachu was hiding inside with his heart-shaped tail. He grinned at Ash's blank stare and scrambled away with a squeal. Grumbling, Ash shimmied into the dress and wanted to sit in a corner once he saw how he looked in it, though he doubted he could properly do that if this thing could hold him up. This dress was huge. A huge skirt with frills and a top with beads and shiny gems on it. And there were royal blue waves of water sewed on and danced around the fabric. It looked nice, but he didn't feel like a bride. Because he wasn't a bride. Nodding, he turned to Alain, heart skipping a beat at his counterpart.

Alain was given a fitted black tux and red tie that mirrored Charizard's Flamethrower. He looked so handsome that it made Ash blush. It kept his mind off the frilly wedding dress he was wearing.

After checking to see if the tie looked right, Alain looked to his bride in the mirror. He had a sly grin on his face.

"Would you marry me in this tux?" Ash ignored his question because the taller male knew the answer. He looked down at the dress. It disguised him a lot better than his other dress had. And they gave him a veil on top of it.

"I think you'd want me to in this dress." Alain glanced over with a soft smile.

"If you offer, I'd love that." His sincerity was sweetly sickening. Ash kept his defense up.

"Not offering." Alain shrugged, having an entire day with Ash in a dress was better than never seeing it again.

* * *

"You two look marvelous!" cheered Valerie as her bride and groom made their way to the set. Ash muttered something, but Alain quickly elbowed him to use his girly voice. He caught himself and giggled.

"Thank you! I love my dress!" he lied. Alain smirked.

"So do I," he added, ignoring when Ash glared at him and sidestepping to avoid his heel. Valerie nodded, gesturing them to get on the set. It was a wedding altar surrounded by flowers and a fake backdrop. But before they could step into the altar, Valerie grabbed onto Ash to stop him. He panicked. Had she seen through his disguise?

According to the sparkles in her eyes, thankfully not.

"How could I forget? Ashley, may I see your Greninja? And Alain, could you bring out your Charizard?" Both trainers looked at each other quizzically, but called their Pokémon out. Both assumed they were going to battle when they saw each other, but after looking around, apparently not. Valerie giggled.

"Such strong Pokémon!" She frowned when she noticed something peculiar about Greninja. "But where are Greninja's darling lace bracelets she wore during the showcase?"

Greninja backed away from the gym leader, finally noticing with dread when he saw Ash in a wedding dress and wig. This thing again?! Ash laughed sheepishly.

"O-oh! She uh, got them burned during a battle. I haven't found a pair that she likes yet." To support his trainer, Greninja nodded and curtsied to Valerie. This was humiliating. Alain and Charizard were both laughing, but Charizard went rigid when Valerie came up close to inspect him.

"And this is the Charizard she fought against? I saw such explosive chemistry between you two. That's it!" She smiled, looking insane to Charizard. "I'll dress you two as the maid of honor and best man."

Charizard was shaking his head violently, wanting nothing to do with this. He just wanted to sit back and enjoy Greninja's misery, not be a part of it! Greninja, on the other hand, was nodding. If he had to go through with this, he was dragging his rival with him. Valerie came to the consensus that her idea was perfect and sent the two to put on their clothes. Ash silently apologized to Greninja. He had once again forced them into cross-dressing over his love for Mega Bond Evolution. Because he wanted to be the very best that no one ever was.

Alain chuckled and waved farewell at Charizard, who was pleading for his trainer to save him as he was dragged away by a persistent Valerie. Nope. If he was dressing up, Charizard had to as well just to be fair.

After assigning the Pokémon a look, Valerie turned to her other married couple. Clemont was put in a fluffy lace wedding dress with a pretty veil with flowers stitched on it. While Ash's was bold, grand and blue, Clemont's was more muted and demure in pastel green. Blah. Leo admired his partner beside him. Clemelia looked angelic. Ashley was lovely as well, but Alain was fiercely protective when he looked in her direction too long. He was the Kalos Champion after all. He looked as sharp here as he did during his battles.

Bonnie was enjoying Clemont's dress, praising how beautiful her sister looked. Valerie did a double take, humming and rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"Bonnie, I thought you had a brother, not a sister." Clemont choked his gasp back, desperate to not give himself away or else he'd have to be revealed. In a wedding dress of all things. The younger of the two grinned.

"I call Clemelia my big sister because she reminds me a lot of my big brother!" Bonnie lied confidently. Valerie blinked, taking it in and seeing her point.

"Oh, I see. Well, I hope Clemont has been well," Valerie continued. Bonnie grinned in Clemont's direction.

"He's been better." Clemont hadn't scowled this much in a day since the last time he cross-dressed. Of course Valerie wanted her bride to be beautiful, not upset. Her glasses were hiding the beauty of her eyes. She smiled over at him.

"Clemelia, please take off your glasses. I think you would be even more stunning without them on." The idea of Clemont having his glasses off scared him more than putting on a dress.

"W-what?! B-but I really can't see without them! I'm gonna talk to walls and chairs all day!" Clemont argued, clinging to his precious glasses protectively. Leo chuckled.

"Whenever you take them off, I'll hold your hand to guide you." Dear Arceus, either he was flirting or being helpful. Bonnie didn't appreciate either of them. Valerie did.

"Yes, please! Build the chemistry between you two! Just like this little pair over here!" She gestured over to Ash and Alain, the latter who was clearly checking his bride out. Clemont squirmed, uncomfortable with the idea but wanting to just get it over with. He reluctantly took off his glasses and handed them to Bonnie.

Leo stepped to the side to get a look at his bride, breath catching in his throat when he saw innocent blue eyes trying to see as clearly as they could.

"Y-your eyes..." Leo stuttered, jaw dropping. Clemont couldn't tell what he meant. He couldn't even tell where Leo was.

"What about them?" Leo smiled warmly, though Clemont couldn't make it out.

"They're as blue as the ocean. So beautiful. And bright like the sun." The shivers of disgust ran strong down his spine. He was seriously flirting with him?! He was a guy too! Seeing his discomfort, Leo blinked.

"My apologies for being so forward!" Bonnie stomped up to him, hands firm on her hips.

"Then start backing up, buddy!" Clemont wasn't stopping her. How embarrassing it must look to have an older sibling hide behind the younger one. But he couldn't care at the moment. Leo deflated. He hadn't meant to make Clemelia feel uncomfortable before their photoshoot. With Valerie pleased and going off to check on the bridesmaids and Pokémon, he was left alone.

Maybe the champion could help him. Alain had a seemingly successful romance with Ashley. Though she didn't look comfortable at the moment. Maybe the dress wasn't to her taste. He waited for Alain to separate from Ashley for a moment. He had to make him realize that he had no interest in taking his bride from him. He made his way towards Alain when he went to get a drink.

"Hey, Alain?" The dark haired male spared him an uninterested glance over his cup. Leo cleared his throat.

"You're dating Ashley, right?"

Now interested, Alain kept his eyes on him. "You could say that."

What a strange thing to say. But no matter. "I just wanted to ask how you got to know her. I'm afraid I made Clemelia feel like I was going too far with the compliments."

Finally, a humorous smile cracked on Alain's face. "You want my help with flirting with 'Clemelia?'"

Leo turned as red as his hair. "N-not like that! I was just thinking about being friendly and she just struck me with how beautiful she is. How did you first talk to Ashley?"

"A Pokémon battle," Alain answered truthfully. For both Ash and Ashley, he challenged them to a battle. Granted he knew it was Ash when he asked. Leo sighed deeply.

"Ah, that's not something I would know about…I'm not a battler." Alain frowned. He and Ash had a much different relationship compared to others. Though the rivalry was still there, it made their romance more intense and driven. Their dynamic might not work in this case since Clemont had a different personality.

"That's not the only thing you'll know about her. Clemelia has secrets and if you truly feel like you care for her, you'll have to be ready to accept them. But my way of thinking probably isn't what you need. You'll have to talk to her friends. Except Ashley." It sounded like a warning. Alain tossed the cup into a trashcan and went back to Ash. Leo nodded, hoping to find one of the girls to help him possibly learn ways to make Clemelia comfortable. But as he moved towards Mairin, he saw Bonnie glare at him. While he should've been intimidated, a little girl not even ten wasn't very scary.

"Clemont's partner has a crush on him," stated Alain plainly as he wrapped his arm around Ash's waist. The latter's eyes bugged.

"For real?" He made a face. Clemont tried his best to look as plain as possible. "How?"

It might have sounded rude, but Alain knew what he meant. He chuckled.

"It's the dress," he said softly. Ash gagged. He couldn't understand the appeal.

Valerie came back with both Charizard and Greninja dressed up, but they didn't get a good look at them before they were ushered onto a gazebo with their Pokémon behind them.

The photoshoot started for Alain and Ash, the latter nervous to keep his identity a secret while Valerie flounced in to help change their poses and give them directions. The cheesy romantic music they were playing almost made Ash gag.

Alain had no problem grasping Ash's hands, smiling broadly at him while their pictures were taken. They were still too young to get married, though according to Ash, it was common to get married young in his town. His friend Gary was even thinking about marriage once he and his girlfriend became of age. Alain was very sure that he wanted something serious with him down the line, but he could stick to teasing and loving him slowly before they could argue about a possible wedding. He wasn't romantic by any means, but he became so when he started dating Ash.

He could proudly say he was a good boyfriend. At least on any other day besides this one. Ash looked phenomenal even though he disliked dressing this way. He managed to smile genuinely at Alain because he really did love him. Even before they dated, Alain was good to him. He never expected Alain to enjoy the cross-dressing bit as much as he did, but at least he was helping Ash through it. Valerie ordered them to hug, kiss on the cheek and even had Alain carry Ash effortlessly in his arms. The latter part was met with protests, but the paler teen lifted him without a second thought.

Valerie nodded as the shoot progressed, then smiled widely after the two did an impromptu kiss.

"Pikachu! The rings, please!" The yellow rodent appeared with the ring bearing pillow in his mouth. He skipped over to the couple and held the pillow up, waving his heart-shaped tail for added effect and keep him disguised.

The teens readied to place the rings on each other's hand and waited as the cameraman took what he needed. Alain kissed Ash's hand first, ignoring the cooing and aww's from the ladies around them. Ash didn't blush anymore when Alain did this because he secretly liked it.

"This is perfect practice for when we actually promise ourselves to one another." Ash cracked a smile.

"Still not wearing a dress," he pointed out. Alain sighed playfully.

"We'll have to compromise on that one day. It's very hard for me to say yes when you look amazing like this."

The others cooed at how lovely they looked. Mairin cheered inwardly for her friends knowing that Alain had complained for some time that Ash started resisting hugs to convince Alain to stop asking him to put on a dress. Looking at his smile, he must've liked it to some degree, though getting Ash to agree was like turning off a fire by asking it nicely.

Serena was posing in a rose gold bridesmaid dress with Braixen and Sylveon, happily twirling and dancing as the cameras took their pictures. Clemont had to study their moves closely to make his look good. He just wanted to be finished so he can take off the dress and leave. Potentially having his glasses off did nothing to calm him down. With the knowledge of his partner hitting on him, his day was going from bad to worse.

Serena finished her shoot and pranced off set with her Pokémon, walking over to talk to Clemont.

"Clemont, how are you holding up?" she asked, bending over a little to Clemont's hunched level. He jolted, hand going over his heart when he realized it was her.

"Oh Serena, thank goodness it's just you. I thought you were Leo." She tilted her head questioningly.

"Leo? Is something wrong with him? I thought he was pretty nice." Clemont fidgeted with his glasses.

"Nice, sure. But he's...overly nice with me. It's like he's...I dunno-"

"Hitting on him!" Bonnie cut in strongly, hands on her hips. "And he doesn't get it that I don't want him hanging around my brother!"

"I-I just don't understand. Do I really look that convincing?" he asked in a squeaky voice. Serena nodded. It was her handiwork after all.

"Well, yeah. But it'll only be until the end of the shoot. After, you'll never see him again when we hightail it back to Lumiose City." With that bit of encouragement, Serena and Bonnie hoisted him into a standing position to take him to his photoshoot.

* * *

Charizard and Greninja were not enjoying themselves. Valerie decided on a romantic theme for them and neither were taking it well. They were supposed to act like they were also a couple and caught the bouquet. Greninja gagged in his blue ombré dress that faded from dark blue to white down the length. Around his wrists were diamond bracelets that felt like handcuffs. Charizard grumbled and clawed at his collar where the stupid shirt button was fastened. He looked as nice as his trainer, though the scowl needed to go. Both Pokémon wore fake, forced smiles when their pictures were taken. Ash was laughing, no longer feeling as humiliated since they were having a harder time with it than he did.

"Aren't you two being a little too dramatic?" asked Alain dryly as Charizard and Greninja struggled to look romantic in their shots. Charizard groaned.

'I didn't sign up for this!' he roared, hoping his trainer could interpret his point. Greninja glared at him.

'Don't you dare complain. _You're_ not the one in a dress. I'm doing this to battle you.' Charizard stared at him incredulously.

'You're _that_ desperate to battle me? You could've just asked.' He forgets that his trainer liked having the other dress up for him. He probably bribed him with a battle to get him to dress up. Greninja smacked him on the shoulder.

'Shut up and appreciate the effort.' Charizard shuddered and looked away from him.

'I can't even _look_ at you right now...'

Their trainers were finished up with their photos, but the Pokémon had to stay since their photos needed work. Ash stayed in character until they were alone in the dressing room together, finally cracking and throwing the veil onto the closest makeup stand.

"Okay, next time you wear the dress. This is humiliating!" Alain was chuckling and loosening his tie.

"It wasn't that bad. You looked amazing. I, however, am recognized by all of Kalos as their champion. I have a reputation to maintain. Besides," he reached for Ash's chin, tilting it up so he could gaze into his eyes, "I would never turn down a chance to see you in a dress. And a wedding dress at that. Arceus must really care for me."

Ash grumbled and looked up bitterly.

"Yeah, and hates me." Alain chuckled and pressed his lips to his forehead.

"Why don't you change back to your other dress so we can see how your friends are doing? I'll change too, this tux is starting to suffocate me." Ash sighed. It was out of one dress and into another, but at least he wasn't being looked at.

"Yeah, that's fine by me." He struggled to find the straps to undo his dress. Alain twitched as he remembered something.

"Oh, and Ash? Look at me." The younger turned to him and heard a camera shutter go off, blinking as he saw Alain with his phone in hand. The camera was aimed at him just like it had numerous times. Ash's jaw dropped.

"Did you just take a picture of me?! We're already doing a photoshoot! You don't need another one!" He swore he saw Alain pout.

"This one's personal. And technically an extra for me when I get the magazine." Ash groaned into his hands.

"There's a magazine…" How could he forget? Man, all of this for Mega Evolved Pokémon. And in the end, it was worth it. Alain helped him take off the dress, though he really wanted to swipe his boyfriend's clothes so he could wear pants. Alain kissed his bare shoulder sweetly.

"I know I tease you a lot over this, but I probably won't see you like this for a long time. I'd really like to get my fill of it now." Oh Alain, he could be so charming. Ash grumbled and sighed.

"Don't show anyone the picture and I might dress up like this again..." Alain hid his excitement.

"I was never planning on it."

* * *

Clemont wobbled up to the altar with Leo, who was guiding him now that his glasses were off. Valerie sighed dreamily.

"An innocent love~. You guys don't have to do kissing like Ashley and Alain did," Clemont sighed in relief at that, "but maybe some warm hugs and dancing will work!"

Clemont panicked, his voice already high-pitched due to panic. "Valerie, I really can't see without my glasses! I'll hit people in the face and eat the ground!"

Valerie hummed in thought, snapping her fingers when she had an idea. "Okay, then we'll do dance poses! Serena can help you guys!"

Clemont was inwardly sobbing as he tried to hold his chin up high for his shots. Leo was respectful with his hands, holding them on his shoulders without touching his waist. Clemont swallowed down his queasiness as Leo held his hand to twirl him in place. Just a few more pictures and it was going to be over.

The twirling plus having no glasses made him feel more disoriented and shaky when he stopped. But he was already falling while his head kept spinning. He heard panicking around him, but they were quickly silenced when something wrapped around his waist. Please let that be Chespin and not-

"Are you alright?" asked Leo, his voice laced with concern. Clemont groaned and nodded, silently thankful for the catch. Bonnie watched in pure disgust while Valerie got excited and had the cameraman take pictures of them. Clemont wanted to heave. Leo was good looking and all, but he wasn't comfortable at all with romance. Thanks to the events of the last showcase, Clemont created more smoke bombs in case of a situation like this. But it was inside his dress and he couldn't inconspicuously grab it with everyone watching him like a Talonflame.

* * *

His friends patiently waited for him to finish up and change back into his other dress, keeping the smoke bomb in reachable distance. Ash and Clemont just wanted to board the next train and leave, but Valerie quickly promised them food and it got Ash to the table before his friends. Leo joined them in his regular clothes, looking like any normal citizen beside them. He took the seat next to Clemont and smiled warmly, dimming when Clemont shuddered and looked away.

Ash and the others were enjoying the food and chatting away with Valerie showing them the final pictures they chose for the magazine.

Clemont just picked at his food, miserable and desperate for reprieve. Chespin, Luxray and Bunnelby were doing their best to cheer him up, but the sight of his Pokémon had him thinking of different methods of escape using their abilities.

For Leo, he couldn't take the silence or the guilt anymore. He turned to Clemont, almost emotional and desperate for him to understand and possibly give him a chance.

"Clemelia!" he shouted, louder than he had wanted. The table grew quiet, unsure what was going on. Clemont was shaking, not sure if he needed Bunnelby to dig him a tunnel out of here. But Leo took a breath to calm himself down.

"Clemelia, I'm really sorry I was so creepy to you earlier. I didn't mean to make you feel upset. But I'd really like to get to know you after all of this." Clemont feeling uncomfortable was an understatement. Not only was he not interested, he also felt guilty that Leo felt so guilty. It wasn't that Leo was creepy, it was that Clemont was a guy! Part of him wanted to tell him the truth and put the guy out of his misery, but he didn't have the heart or nerve to do that. Oh man...

It wasn't just him who was uncomfortable. His friends all had identical looks of cringe on their faces except for Alain, who was amused. Even Bonnie didn't step in, at least not yet. The shock hadn't worn off.

"I-I for-forgive you," Clemont stuttered, trying to sound polite. "I-I'm ju-just quite n-nervous myself. But I-I ha-have to say n-no to you. I'm really...I'm not very interesting."

"I don't believe that!" Leo argued heatedly. "I think you try too hard to look down on yourself. I think you're perfectly fine as you are, that's what makes you different from everyone else."

Alain hummed to himself. If he was trying to sway Clemont, that could've worked if Clemont was into guys. He'd have to work hard to shake off this admirer. Alain had a strange inkling that Leo wouldn't really mind if Clemont revealed himself. But he couldn't know for sure.

Clemont whirled around for someone to help him. Serena was just as shocked as him, Bonnie was between disgusted and awed at this guy's sudden love for her brother. Mairin kept opening and closing her mouth like a Magikarp out of water. Ash shook his head, unable to help his friend. To everyone's surprise, Alain stepped in.

"We have about an hour and a half until our train arrives. We should get ready to go," he added helpfully. Immediately, the others and their Pokémon got up, practically marching away awkwardly and keeping their faces neutral with a touch of panic. Clemont was left, staring at Leo with a growing blush on his face before snapping out of it when Luxray barked for him. He quickly bowed his head to Leo and ran off. Leo felt his own face heat up, smiling gently to himself as he watched Clemont go. He at least wanted some way to contact Clemelia before she left.

* * *

In the dressing room, Clemont locked the door once the group was accounted for inside. As soon as he made sure it wouldn't budge, he sighed and leaned his head against the door while his Pokémon comforted him. Ash and Alain were in a separate corner, talking quietly amongst themselves while Mairin, Serena and Bonnie were in a fierce debate on what to do about Leo.

"Clemont might break his heart once he takes off the wig." Ash took off his own to give himself time to breathe without the brown locks going into his mouth when a breeze blew. Alain smirked.

"Maybe. It's a shock for sure. Having a good disguise hides a lot." Ash was pretty well disguised during the last showcase, yet Alain knew it was him. He wouldn't think Alain would go through the trouble of getting to know Ashley if he didn't know it was him.

"Hey Alain, if you hadn't found out that it was me under the dress, would you have been attracted to Ashley?" Alain cupped his chin in thought, silently thinking it over.

"Hmm, probably not," he answered simply. Ash blinked.

"And why's that?" Alain looked at him plainly.

"Being attracted to you makes me blind to everyone else. So imagine my surprise when I found out it was you underneath it all." Ash blushed brightly, determined to change the subject.

"I can only imagine how surprised Leo would be if he found out 'Clemelia's' real identity." Alain hummed in thought, cupping his chin.

"Haha, what if he falls in love anyway?" Ash cringed.

"You think he will?" To this, Alain smirked to himself and sat by the window, staring out as he waited for everyone else to get ready to leave.

* * *

After a good ten minutes, the group was all ready to leave and Ash and Clemont couldn't wait to get on the train and change in the bathrooms. Valerie arranged a ride for them to take back to the train station, but Leo wanted to see them off. The whole car ride, Clemont was blocked from Leo with Bonnie sitting between them and glaring daggers at the latter. Leo instead had to stare at Alain and Ashley. Ashley didn't meet his eyes, but Alain was staring at her fondly while playing with strands of her hair between his fingers.

As the train station came into view, Ash and Clemont were beyond happy. Sitting in a dress was a major pain. As the group lined up to say goodbye to Leo, he came up to Clemont and smiled at him warmly. Clemont felt knots in his stomach as the guilt came roaring back.

"Clemelia, it was so great to meet you. Again, I'm so sorry that I was so creepy to you earlier. I didn't want to come off that way at all. I do think you're really pretty, but-!" Leo turned as red as his hair, waving his hands defensively.

"I don't want to pry if you aren't interested! I would love to get to know you, that's all!" He was so sincere that Clemont wanted to vomit. Ash was completely done and cringing that he boarded the train with Pikachu and Alain. Only the girls remained, waiting for Clemont's answer.

Clemont couldn't take it. The guilt was going to make him explode. He shakily reached up to his wig and yanked it off, revealing his blonde hair.

"I'm a guy!" he announced. Ash screeched to a halt and ran to the window to watch him in horror. He actually took off the wig! Alain was laughing silently beside him.

Clemont was wheezing, unable to focus on Leo's expression. "I can't take the guilt anymore! My name's not Clemelia, it's Clemont! I'm a guy! And you seem like a great guy and all, but I don't want to lead you on anymore! I'm sorry! Just forget this ever happened and please don't tell anyone! I'll die from embarrassment!"

It was quiet, only the sounds of Clemont's hard breathing was heard. Leo hadn't moved for a solid minute. He was probably disgusted and humiliated. That just made Clemont feel worse for leading him on without meaning to. Behind him, Bonnie and Dedenne were ready to shock Leo if he tried to hurt Clemont. Mairin and Serena were quiet from shock.

When Leo finally moved, he had his arms around Clemont's waist, smiling as if he struck gold. Looking into Clemont's eyes, Leo felt his heart lift as Clemont's golden hair matched the ocean of his eyes.

"A guy?! You're a guy?!" Woah, he was…ecstatic? Clemont shakily nodded, unsure how to react with Leo suddenly holding him.

"Y-yeah…?" Leo sighed deeply in relief.

"That doesn't bother me at all! I'm actually…" he trailed off, blushing brighter than he had before. "I've always liked guys. I was so thrown off when I saw you as a girl that I was starting to wonder if I was confused."

He smiled again at Clemont. "But now that I know, I truly would like to get to know you better!"

Clemont gasped. This was not at all what he was anticipating. He grasped Leo's arms around him. "H-hang on! I-I'm not into guys!"

Leo looked forlorn, his expression crestfallen. "Y-you're not?"

Clemont's head was shaking a mile a minute. "I don't think so!"

He managed to shimmy out of his arms, nearly tripping on his heels as he crawled and ran to the train. Leo seemed a little down, but he pulled a little business card out of his pocket.

"I would still like to get to know you. If you ever change your mind, I'd like to…" He smiled sadly as Clemont didn't hear what he said when he ran into the safety of the train compartment. Bonnie raced after him and made a face at Leo with Dedenne. Mairin and Serena were immediately smiling and skipped over to the model, Mairin plucking the card out of his hands.

"I'll make sure he gets this!" she sang. Serena had taken a small notebook out of her bag and wrote a quick note before tearing out the paper and handing it to him.

"I wrote a little list of his favorite hobbies and foods so you two have more to talk about!" They both bowed their heads and ran into the train as it signaled for departure. Leo waved goodbye as the train picked up and shuffled away.

* * *

A few weeks after the photoshoot, a package arrived for the group as they met up in Professor Sycamore's lab. It was the release of the magazine with their pictures, several copies and more to share. Ash ignored the emails sent from Leaf, who said he was inspiring her and Gary's wedding, Misty, May and Dawn. All of his friends were saying he was putting them to shame and he didn't want to deal with the embarrassment. The only email he read was Gary's, who asked what made him even think about doing something so stupid. He didn't have the answer to that.

Alain was carefully cutting out the pictures of him and Ash to frame while the others were squealing. Charizard and Greninja were gagging when they saw theirs in a copy Pikachu handed them. They were ripping the pages out and prepping them for training later. The perfect targets. Pikachu sighed at their behavior.

Clemont stiffened when the pictures of him and Leo showed up. Mairin blinked.

"Leo. Have you spoken to Leo since?" She had given him the card on the train. Clemont grimaced.

"A little…" he admitted softly, then waved his hands frantically. "Friends! As friends!"

"Sure," they all replied sarcastically, even Bonnie thought the same. Still didn't mean Leo was good enough for her brother!

Ash was sitting and silently stewing at how stupid he looked in the dress. Behind him, Alain wrapped his arms around him.

"I know I tease you a lot for wearing a dress, but I really do mean it when I say you look good. It doesn't matter what you're wearing. You always look great to me." Ash smiled silently.

"Keep that up and I might wear something like that for a date." Alain didn't hide his excitement, but Ash held up a hand with a fierce look.

"AFTER you battle me like you promised!" Alain smirked. That he could agree to. They went to find Charizard and Greninja, sighing when they found the two using their techniques in different ways to destroy their pictures.

* * *

 **And this chapter ends with Charizard and Greninja swearing to destroy every picture of them in the magazine in copies all over Lumiose City.**

 **Thank you all for sticking with me until the end of this story!**


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